In an era of Call of Duty that some argue was better, Mark Rubin was its figurehead. For a decade, he served as an executive producer at Infinity Ward, guiding the franchise’s explosive growth post the original Modern Warfare release in 2007. A familiar face in development logs and on E3 stages, he showcased the latest adventures of Captain Price before leaving the company in 2015.

Recently, he worked as an executive producer on XDefiant, a free-to-play alternative to Call of Duty from Ubisoft, which faced cancellation in 2025. Rubin’s longtime involvement with the franchise has given him a unique perspective, and he has voiced strong criticisms about the series’ current direction.

Responding to an XDefiant fan lamenting the game’s closure and declaring they would never return to Call of Duty, Rubin spoke out against contemporary gaming practices, particularly criticizing his former employer’s strategies related to maximizing revenue.

“Thank you! Many games, including Call of Duty, now prioritize making as much money as possible from players. They heavily depend on FOMO marketing and engagement-optimized matchmaking,” wrote Rubin. “Back in the day, it was all about the game’s quality driving players to engage.”
“Merci! De nombreux jeux, y compris Call of Duty, cherchent maintenant à maximiser les profits des joueurs. Ils dépendent fortement du marketing FOMO et du matchmaking optimisé pour l’engagement. À l’époque, tout tournait autour de la qualité du jeu qui attirait les joueurs.”

Rubin was particularly displeased with numerous limited-time game modes, aggressive seasonal marketing, and an emphasis on player metrics that, in his opinion, often undermined meaningful content updates.

He criticized the Call of Duty matchmaking system, which weighs factors like matchmaking speed and player skill to keep players engaged. In contrast, XDefiant notably did away with skill-based matchmaking, resulting in more varied player experiences.

Rubin concluded, “Players should flock to a game because it’s enjoyable, not due to a massive marketing budget pushing them to play.” His analogy?
“Be more like Larian, less like Activision.”

Larian Studios, with its acclaimed Baldur’s Gate 3, exemplifies what game development should embody: creative integrity, ambition, and strong sales stemming from the creation of a top-tier game. Rubin himself acknowledged that XDefiant did have its share of live service elements like battle passes and paid skins, yet he stressed a lack of marketing funds for the game led to its struggles, comparing himself to the current industry state.